Southwood Memorial Christian Church’s Young at Heart Circle joined forces with the Southwood Ruritan Club for a project to assist wounded soldiers in Afghanistan and Germany. Between the two groups, 120 pillowcases and 60 blankets have been donated to the cause.

The Ruritan Club has a direct contact with Sgt. Major Holly Pfakte who is stationed at Cherry Point. Having served several times at places in Afghanistan, she has a direct contact with the bases.

The reason for the pillow cases is that a soldier is given a pillow when going to a base in Afghanistan but not a pillow case. These soldiers use T-shirts and other items to cover the pillows. Pfakte saw this need and, after returning to Cherry Point, started a project to get these pillow cases to the soldiers who are serving. She puts them on a military plane and they go directly to the bases where they are needed

The blankets are sent to a hospital in Germany where Pfakte also has been stationed. It is the hospital where service men and women are sent when they have lost an arm, a leg or otherwise been seriously injured.

She saw how sensitive these soldiers are when going to physical therapy and saw the need for lap blankets. Again, she started another project to get blankets for the soldiers when she returned to Cherry Point. The blankets also are put on a military plane and sent directly to the hospital in Germany.

Pfakte said that as long as men and women are sent overseas to fight, there will be a need for the pillow cases and the lap blankets. Her reasoning behind these two projects is that this is one way those who enjoy freedoms in the United States of America can thank the men and women who are putting their lives on the line for us.

The Southwood Ruritans and the Young at Heart members plan to continue these projects.

If you as an individual, club or business would like to participate, call Susan Baker at 252-527-0496.